Slowly, I warp along...

There is something therapeutic about threading a loom. I usually thread my big Swedish Glimakra loom once or perhaps twice a year. However, it has been a couple of years since I have tackled the fine art of threading this loom. It is a process marked by time and measurements. Each step requires careful planning, beginning with a calculator and my weaver's journal. I first calculate the length and quantity of threads per warp, multiply those figures by the width of the warp, estimate yardage and weight of yarns, order sufficient supplies and record everything. Then there is the equipment required for warping, books for reference - it seems no matter how many times and years I have been doing this process, I still require the assurances and review of my weaving reference works. Peggy Osterkamp's fabulous and thorough guide: Warping Your Loom and Tying on New Warps has been my warping bible for some time now. Because of the size and length of my warp, I use a sectional warp beam, which also requires very specific and detailed planning. I have just finished winding 48 separate spools each holding some 750 yards plus of fine wool and silk threads. Next, I'll begin winding the threads from the spools onto the sectional beam. It is a slow and tedious method , but I find myself immersed in the rhthym of the tasks and feel enormous relief and optimism as I complete each step and look forward with trepidation to the next.